Bending-machine and method of bending



I. H. HOLIVIGREEN.

BENDING MACHINE AND METHOD OF BENDING.

APPLlCATlON FILED Aue.4. 1919.

l g ffgwglg v mm Mar, 29, 1921,

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

I N VEN TOR.

JuliusHHolmgreen ATTORNF .I. H. HOLIVIGREEN.

BENDING MACHINE AND METHOD OF BENDING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-41 I9I9.

Patented Mar. 29, 19211,

3 SHEETS-:SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. JuIius l'IHoImgreen ATTORNEI .i. H. HOUWGREENH BENDING MACHINE AND METHOD OF BENDING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 1919.

Patenmd Mar 2%, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- INVENTOR. Ju 1'! L55 .Holmgreen 7 ATTORNEY UNHTED stares JULIUS H. HOLMIGREEN, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

IBENDING-MACHINE AND METHOD OF BENDING.

Application filed August 4, 1919.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUs H. HOLM- GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bending- Machines and Methods of Bending, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bending machines, more especially those adapted to bend rods, bars, wires and similar material into a variety of forms suitable for structural purposes, such as reinforcements for concrete structures. Previously, machines of this kind in actual use were hand operated and the degree and amount of bending was gaged by the eye, generally with the aid of a chalk mark on the work table of the machine or some other suitable place. As a result, the different pieces produced, and supposedly 0f the same shape, were not bent to the same degree thus introducing inaccuracies in the set-up reinforcing structure. These disadvantages are overcome by my invention which has among its objects the production of a machine and the devising of a method whereby materials can be bent quickly, uniformly and efi'ectively with a relatively low output of energy.

In carrying the objects of my invention into effect I provide means for bending materials into various forms, my improved machine being more especially designed for the bending of spirals of various sizes and cross sections, such as square, polygonal, oblong, circular, elliptical, or any other shape or combinations of such shapes adapted for use in reinforcements for reinforced concrete structures. My invention includes a turn table mounted in proximity to a work table, for convenience, the work table serving principally as a means for holding the bending mechanism which comprises a member of peculiar construction yieldingly pressed toward the material being bent by force means, such as spring, weight, hydraulic, electric, fluid or other suitable means, but preferably on account of its ease of application, by air pressure.

Specifically, my improved machine comprises a turn table on which is fixed a suitable bending frame of any desired shape. On the frame of the machine, and for convenience on the work table, there is adjustably fixed the bending device, having preferably a set of rollers mounted on a roller Specification of "Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1%231.

Serial No. 315,155.

housing and operated by force or pressure means, as an air cylinder. A straightener is usually attached to the work table to straighten out the material before bending to prevent kinking of the same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof in which is illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention and in which similar reference characters denote similar parts,

Figure 1, shows aside view of my improved machine,

2, a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 a detail view of my bending rollers,

Fig. at, a bending frame,

Fig. 5, a collapsed spiral, such as is produced by my invention,

Fig. 6, a spiral in its completed form, and

Figs. 7 and 8, different positions of the bendlng frame, showing how the rollers follow the work being bent.

The body A of the machine comprises preferably two portions, 1 and 2 respec tively, of the same size and shape in order that the two parts may be cast in the same mold, connected together at 3 by a series of bolts and resting upon the base 4:. A shaft 5 preferably vertical is journaled in the frame and is driven by a worm and worm wheel contained in the casing 6 formed integral with the frame. A shaft 7 extending longitudinally of the machine is fixed to the worm wheel and is journaled on both sides of the machine in the bearings 8, only one of which is here shown. One or more driving pulleys 9 are mounted on the shaft and one or more clutches 10 operated by lever 11 and collar 12 which engages the clutch, the opposite end of the lever being pivoted to the machine at 13.

A turn table 15 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 5 and preferably fixed to its upper surface is a plate 16 bolted to the turn table by bolts 17 and forming an integral part thereof. A flat work table 20 is secured to the top of the frame and serves very conveniently as a means for mounting the various stationary portions of my invention in the desired relation to the turn table. t is to be understood that I may dispense with this work table and I may attach the devices hereinbelow described to any portion of the frame of the machine, but I prefer to use it for convenience.

Along the rear end of the work table 20 is undue strain.

a series of grooves 21 preferably T-shaped into which is adjusted a plate 22 having transverse slots 23 therein adapted to engage bolts 2a passing into the said slots to hold the plate in adjusted position, the plate serving as a rest for the roller housing to be later described.

611 the rear of the machine is fixed a bracket 25 having a plurality of longitudinal extensions 26 in which are formed slots 27 and 28, preferably T-shaped, and a movable frame 29 carrying a cylinder 30 is adjustably bolted to the said slots by a series of bolts 31 and 2:52. Within the bore 33 oi the cylinder is a piston 35 carrying a piston rod 36 which extends in the direction of the turn table and a spring 87 is placed behind the piston over the piston rod to return the piston to its origiiiial position after the air pressure has been released. A collar 38 surrounding the piston rod prevents too great a compression of the spring 37.

The forward end ll of the piston rod 36 has pivoted to it at 42 a pivoted, reciprocating roller housing preferably triangular in sha e, having upper and lower portions 43 and 4 respectively, between which are journaleda pairoit rollers L5 and 46,. each oi. which is grooved, as shown at 47 and 4&8, to more readily accommodate a wire or similar material, one of the rollers 46 having its upper edge beveled at 49 for a purpose to be later described. The extended end of the housing is pivoted to a bar, lever, piston rod or the like, to allow the rollers to travel around any irregularly shaped frame, some off the positions assumed by the roller housing and rollers being shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8.

Upon the turn table is secured a bending frame 50 having a central aperture 51'and aperture 52 eccentrically placed and openings 58 for the reception of pins and screws to hold the same in fixed relation to the turn table 15. The edge of the bending frame is extended upwardly for short.

distance to provide a bearing surface for the rollers a5 and a6 and has a notch 55 in one side thereof. Guiding bars 56 are placed at the corners of the bending frame to guide the spiral upwardly as it is formed. In Fig. l is shown a slightly modified form of bending frame which. is circular in cross section, has the notch 57, raised edge 58 and guiding bars 59.

To the side of the machine is bolted a i bracket 60 held by bolts 61 to the table 20 and carrying a wire or rod straightener 62 secured to the bracket by a single bolt 63 so as to allow of some vibration or movement of the straightener and wire without A. series of; straightening rollers 64 are provided between which the wire 65 is adapted to be drawn in order to straighten out any kinks therein. Screw means operated by a hand wheel 6'? ad justs the alinement of the sets oi? rollers (i l to accommodate various sizes of material passing through.

in order to equalize the thrust of rollers l5 and 4-6 against the turn table and to prevent to a large extent, bending or shearing stresses upon the shaft 5, there is provided a housing bolted to the frame 1. of the machine by screws T This carries an inner movable housing 71 in which are contained rollers 72 adapted to bear on the turn table 15, the inner housing being held in adjusted position by a single screw Yet to allow of some motion of housing 71 to take up any sudden jars and wear.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

A suitable bending frame, such as shown in Figs, 2 and i is lined upon the plate 1.6

carried by the turn table 15 and secured for positive rotation by the driving mechanism.

The end oi? a wire is passed through the wire straightener (32v and is placedin notch 55 of the bending frame 50, air pressure is forced into the cylinder 53 through inlet ll) connected to a source of compressed air, pressing the piston forward and causing the rollers -;l-.5 and 46 to contact with the wire and bending frame. The machine is started by a throw of the lever 11, the turntable rotating in the direction shown by the arrow. causes the wire to bebent to conform with. the outline of the bending frame, the ma chine being stopped after one revolution has been made.

The free end of the wire which is inserted into notch 55 is then pried up so that it rests upon the beveled. edge e9 oi? the forward roller d6. The-machine is again The pressure contact of the rollers started and the operation is now continu- 4 the entire wire or bar has been formed into the spiral desired.

It is not essential that I use, a wire straightener in the operation of the machine but it is desirable since it avoids any kinking of the wire while passing through the bending operation. T he plate 22 is also an immaterial part of my invention, but it serves to keep the pivoted roller housing 4-3 in a horizontal position and gives better contact of the rollers with the'wire being formed into a spiral.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a spiral as it is formed on the machine it'being noted that the adjacent loops forming the spiralar'e close together. Before setting up. such. a spiralwhen used for a reinforcing structure it is drawn out as shown in Fig. 6 so that the adjacent loops 75 and 76 are the desired distance apart, and additional reinforcing rods 71' may be inserted, if desired.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In bending machines a frame, a turn table, a bending frame having a notch therein secured to said turn table, said notch providing for the securing of the material to the frame, and guiding means thereon comprising a plurali y of upwardly extending bars secured to the periphery of said bending frame.

2. In a bending machine a frame, a turn table, yielding pressure means for bending material secured to said frame near one side of said turn table, means secured to said frame and bearing on the side of said turn table opposite to said bending means for removing strain from said turn table comprising a housing, rollers therein contacting with said turn table and adjustable means for holding the same in contact therewith.

3. A method of bending which consists in placing the end of material to be bent on a bending frame fixed to the turn table of a bending machine, rotating the same approximately one revolution and bending said material thereby, lifting up the bent end of said material to cause it to contact with the upper beveled edge of a bending roller and then continuing the rotation of said turn table forming a continuous bent spiral of a cross section approximately that of the bending frame.

4. A method of bending which consists in placing the end of material to be bent in. a notch in a bending frame, bending the material approximately once around said frame by a single rotation thereof, lifting said end from said notch to cause it to contact with the upper beveled edge of a bending roller and continuing the rotation of said frame to produce a continuous spiral.

5. A method of bending which consists in placing the end of the material to be bent in a notch in a bending frame, bending the material approximately once around said frame by a single rotation thereof, lifting said end from said notch to cause it to contact with the upper beveled edge of a bending roller, continuing the rotation of said frame to produce a continuous spiral and drawing out the collapsed spiral thus formed to the desired length.

6. In bending machines, a frame supporting a fixed table, a turn table provided with a notch adapted to receive the material to be bent, an extension formed on the frame and presenting an auxiliary table, a cylinder mounted upon the auxiliary table and capable of adjustment thereon in the direction of its length, a piston operable within the cylinder and provided with a piston rod extending substantially to the turn table, bending means mounted upon the end of the piston rod and means for supporting the end of the piston rod with the bending means.

'7. in bending machines, a frame supporting a fixed table, a turn table provided with a notch adapted to receive the material to be bent, an extension formed on the frame and presenting an auxiliary table, a cylinder mounted upon the auxiliary table and capable of adjustment thereon inthe direction of its length, a piston operable within the cylinder and provided with a piston rod extending substantially to the turn table, bending means mounted upon the end of the piston rod and a plate adjustably mounted upon the fixed table and adapted to support the piston rod and the bending means.

8. In bending machines a frame, a turn table, a bending frame mounted on the turn table and provided with a notch for receiving the material to be bent, bars extending upwardly from the bending frame for receiving the material as it is bent, a pair of rollers adapted to bear against the bending rame and arranged one behind the other said rollers having their axes of rotation parallel with the bars, a beveled edge on the leading roller adapted to force the bent material upwardly on the bars.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana this 29th day of July, A. D. nineteen hundred and nineteen.

HJUUS H. HOLMQEEEN. [11. s] l Vitnesses H. C. BIERMAN,

M. L. Snunnn. 

